Last Saturday was my birthday. The 35th to be more precise. Each time it feels even weirder, I mean, it seems that now I'm a man on the edge of adulthood. And the funniest thing is that, obviously, I don't feel my age. At least my spirit has always been young, but my body has been the one suffering the changes. Fortunately not so many. I've been told that I look younger than 30, and I keep telling my silly joke "At least when I turn 40 I'll look like 30". D'oh! But to be really honest, the issue that gives me the major concern is the fact that, if I count with the fortune of living until 70-80ish, I'm getting somewhere around the middle area. And whenever I remember that macabresque idea, my mind suddenly goes blank and my eyes loose their focal point just to get lost in the immensity of nothingness. A large sigh follows, and a smile. The main thing here is that I'm beginning to feel this utterly need to create and achieve personal goals. Of course I've been doing it, specially these last 2 years, but there are still some things missing. One is, of course, my record. Fortunately, MyxoZoa is going pretty smooth and we are actually working and progressing. I feel that, finally, a recording is about to be born, and that makes me really glad. Other creative achievements to pursue are the graphic related ones which I've been delaying, not sure the reason why, but haven't done my trademark weirdenesses in a long time. Better begin with them before it's too late.

Take a look to what I've just found. Another real jewel of animation. It was really difficut to find, and probably wasn't posted until recently, but certainly is one of the best cartoons I saw as a kid. Even now I still find it great and really upbeat. The 2 highlights, according to me, are when the wolf first appears dancing and singing 'Hoo pa-boo! Hoo pa-boo!', that's unbeatable and an overall classic. And the other one is also with the big bad one dressed with a fur coat and playing an ukulele. Please, forget about everything for 5 minutes (7 to be more accurate) pump the volume up and enjoy!

Just found this small article commenting on the concert I witnessed at the Commodore. It talks about the 2-band-live set, the drumkits and their upcoming cd. Seems that what I saw was the first leg of the tour.

Seattle alt-metal veterans The Melvins (tickets | music) have plotted the first leg of a fall tour behind their second release of 2006, "The Senile Album," due in stores Oct. 10.The album will mark The Melvins' first recorded effort with their recently revamped lineup, which pairs longtime Melvins stalwarts Buzz Osborne (guitar, vocals) and Dale Crover (drums) with Jared Warren (bass, vocals) and Coady Willis (drums) of fellow Seattle indie rockers Big Business, effectively combining the two bands into a single entity.

"Now we're going to be four piece," Crover said in a recent interview with Bilboard.com. "Two drums--just like the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead! We've known [the Big Business] guys for a long time. It's not like they're going to quit Big Business or anything like that. When we tour, we're hoping that they'll open."

The Melvins have since confirmed that Big Business will, in fact, open on the band's upcoming tour, which kicks off Sept. 6 in Sacramento, CA. The group will tackle 18 cities on the tour's first leg, which is so far confined entirely to September.

"The Senile Album" was recorded earlier this year in Los Angeles. In May, The Melvins released "Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust," a track-by-track live rendition from 2005 of the band's acclaimed 1993 album, "Houdini."

Yes, ages since my last post. As a matter of fact, the last one celebrated my new job, 2 months ago. Everything's going great there, but today there's another story to tell. A story of true excitement and joy. Ok, so there we were, and I say we referring to my music soulmate here in Vancouver, Alex and myself. Tuesday evening in Granville St, slipping down our throats couple pitchers of pale ale in the corner pub in order to get us in the proper mood for some good old freaking rock. When the right time came, two $32 dollar tickets let us in through the main door, leading us to what was going to be a memorable event for me. The first thing we noticed were the posters this fellow with a masking-tape with some handwritting sticked in the front of his shirt "Give me your fucking money bitch". Anyway, there were 5 or 6 different poster designs, several cd's and some T-shirts. They were really cool. So cool, that we both ended buying a $25 affiche. And there was this noise, this humming all over the place. A mix between electric-digital noise and speaker feedback. And it was loud enough to obligue everybody there to almost yell to each other in order to get heard. More beers. Then the noise stopped and we all knew the show was about to begin, so all the people started moving toward the stage. We found our spot at 8-10 mts from it and were ready for the heaviness. Did I mention that there were 2 drumkits one beside the other at the stage? Promising -I said to myself. From the darkess appeared the bass player to the right and a drummer in the left kit. He was left-handed. 1-2-3 and he started the beat in a quite agressive yet solid and very progressive groove. The bass jumped into it with it's fuzz distorted loud sound, pushing us all one step back from where we were standing. There they were, only 2 guys making some nastly crunchy funky really heavy and very complex rock with bass and drums only. For at least 15-20 minutes there was no need for anybody else, they sounded as solid and tight and complete as any more-than-two-musicians band. Even much more, 'cause they were fantastic. By the final stage of their performance a guy appeared playing a sunburnst Les Paul, making some chilling bendings filling in the blanks the other guys were leaving for him to play. Awesome 10-15 minutes. Then came the first and only pause of the concert where the guitar player became the 'other' drummer, taking his place in the kit at the right, while Buzz Osborne walked in from the left with his black Les Paul. I don't need to say that everybody there were going crazy, including us, yelling clapping, whistling, jumping, because we all knew what was going to happen. The previous trio was just the opening act, a very impressive and efective opening act that could easily ashame many of these days main ones. Now it was time for the fucking Melvins. With his peculiar shiny hairdo and delivering the evil eye as in cue to begin, they started playing. Guitar, vocals, bass and 2 drums, what a steamroller. The drummers played in such a total sync that it was practically impossible not to get infected with their hard grooves. There were couple of long trances where only they played the rythm, no fills, no chops, just the groove, simply astonishing. The Melvins designed their concert to be as direct and clear as a true rock concert should ever be, and the funny thing is that in one of my previous life's in music, I suggested we should perform live using that same strategy of no-rest and no-stop artistic showcase. For an hour and a half, the fucking Melvins delivered one of the best live experiences I have ever witnessed, showing a really mature, tight, impressive, progressive yet natural and escencial way of playing rock. Only a couple of 'classics' were part of their never-ending set, encouraging the dancers to make what they should do in a ballroom like the one we were all at: slam. Alex jumped joyfully from the third row where we were at that moment, trying to drag me into it also, but I apart from the fact that I skinny and tiny compared with the 'dancers' I was too drunk to get into this gigantic human blender. Even though I haven't heard 90% of the playlist before, I only needed to let myself slip in and go naturally with the flow of the tunes I was listening for the first time. And it worked like a clockwork, because I was dancing, grooving and screaming in cue as if I've been listening to their repertoire since my early years. Anyhow, the Melvins performed a true classy act, a true heavy show. From a purist point of view, I'd say that is the best live experience I've had, and I know it may sound too pretentious, but they certainly showed me exactly what I want to do with my own band: a true rock experience.

Welly welly well my dear droogies... Finally, it is time for some frivolity and to enjoy a little victory dance. I'm back in business! Just received my new job offer this morning from Rivera Design Group and I'm starting tomorrow. It really is a relief to be back on track.Many things have happened lately: I'm not playing with the Ontario bass player anymore, instead a couple of rock youngsters are in charge of the string instruments and we're sounding great. Heavy and manly, lots of guts but not punkysh nor metalic. Just plain heavy, distorted and alittle funky if I may add. Seems that the so-called stoner rock is what my music compadres like, as well as other precious things like MrBungle and John Zorn. So, I'm as happy as can be. Hopefully in a near future I can slip in some old stuff.Concerts. Last week attended a Slayer concert at the GM Place, and some other metal bands we're also playing. Mastodon and Lamb of God were good. It's been ages since the last time I trashed, and I felt good. A little rust and dust doesn't hurt anybody. I took out my Carcass, Coroner, Cathedral, SOD, CannibalCorpse cd's. Yeeaahh!! Rough! I remembered the days when I played the "polkas" with SEMEFO.The Who is coming in a couple of months. I can't let go that pass me by. Also Medesky Martin & Wood at the Commodore Ballroom in Sept. I'll be there. Also Thee Silver Mr. Zion and the Tra la la Band. And next week in Seattle, at El Corazon: Blue Cheer. UnbelivableRen & Stimpy - What can I say? Last Tuesday was a great great day. Not only because my job interview, but also was the day Lost Episodes came out. I'm a fan since 1990 when they came out. In those days, nobody else were watching them or knew who they were (as usual) and my brother and I were silently enjoying the unbelivable things that appeared on screen in the show. As soon as we realized they weren't going to last long on TV, we started recording them. And as predicted, they soon disappeared until years later. now, I've been tracking this episodes since 2003. Finally they're out and let me tell that they are unbelivable. I'm pretty sure many many people will consider them as too much. I think of them as one of my most treasured material possesions along with my Black Sabbath in Paris 1970 video and my Captain Beyond 3-D cover album I found at Lou(s) Records (thanks Major Tom!). R&S LostEpisodes are as heavy as Naked City, Il Balletto di Bronzo, Pasolini or Gaspar Noé. Disgusting, filthy, nasty, sick, violent, perverted and hilarious. Long live Ren and Stimpy.Ok, so I'm out for now. I also have to update the outside looking in!

Let me hear, let me hear the way you feelI been gone so long, I been riding on a spinning wheelFlashin' and scratchin', just a-feeling my pulseYellin' and screaming and pound on the wall.Coast to coast I been travelin' and I got to get moreI been up all night just trying to make a scoreHustle it, so fuss it, just make it some chickPickin' on dolls and makin' that trick.She's the piece of heart and I'm screamin' and kickin' it downFaster and harder, keep on drivin' it down the lineLookin' for head and feelin' so freeRubbin' my own in this ecstasy.Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me if you seeIt's the only way, the only way that I want it to beI can't explain, it's just not fateI got to keep on, this time I just ain't late.I hope you understand, I'm in love, I'm in love with youGive ya anything, anything that I'm able toThe way I feel, it's easy to seeLet me hear the way it oughta be.

Everything has been going fine lately. Although nothing really exciting has occured, life here is good. The only thing is that I'm a little bored. As I'm still going through the trance of finding a good job -internet, newspapers, phone calling, etc, I'm living 24/7 in the apartment. And job hunting is a task for half a day max, so the rest of my days are free for me to do whatever I please. Well, I've been going through my LP collection, some reading and DVD watching, along with several hours in front of my iBook and inet. I began some personal projects (iMovies, GarageBand songs, websites and some flash) along with a cover for my friend's CD. In order to get these going smoothly I bought a DVD burner and 1 Gb memory dimm for my laptop (if Chicken finds out about this I'm doomed!). Also I will take a course in 'Experience Design for Web' at the Emily Carr Institute next July. And my main duty right now is helping Chicken with her new job. It's quite a package and she needs lot of help from me, so you could say that we both work at Ikon. Lots of online training, products, technology, even financial stuff -in which I'm not the one to be leaned on, but on the other side is great opportunity. That's why Chicken hasn't been pushing around with my job searching lately.Also, I will begin jamming and playing with a mate a met at Craigslist.com. He's an Ontario based bass player that answered my "Black Sabbath, Grand Funk, Blue Cheer, Captain Beyond anyone" posting. As he was about to move to Vancouver he felt somehow attracted to the Geezer/Sascher call in my ad, and we started a series of mails to get to know each other. We even interchange cd's through mail and everything. This next friday will be our first jam in a rehearsal studio 4 blocks from my apartment. The first draft of the Vodka Zonic project. I'm very happy about it, although sometimes I feel a little guilty about my momentarly unemployment state. But as I just said, it is momentarly.

We are here We are where We are together and live as one

Doing rightDoing wrongWho knows who's right The Answer Lies Beyond... You and I you know

Look at meLook and see You're a leaf in a forestPraying autumn doesn't come Look at meLook and seeI see the world's spins roundDon't let it go

Yesterday was Chicken's birthday. 34 springs on her record, although she hates that fact. She had to work as usual and told nobody there about it. In any case, it wouldn't have made any difference 'coz in these lands people are really soooo different from latins (and, funny, but I feel proud of being a member of this hot minority here). In my last birthday, I remember telling my co-workers about it and the only response to that was 'Ah! Oh! Well, great! Mhhh... so, what are you gonna do tonight?', and things like that. I guess only a couple of 'Happy Birthday's, but not a hug, not a single hand shake, nothing, nada! In Mexico everybody hugs you and congratulate you, and even at your job you may receive some lolly pop or something, ja! Ok, so Chicken decided to skip that embarrassing hope and just avoided mentioning it. So, we went to dinner to the 'Hell's Kitchen', a nice place in Kitsilano and had a pizza and couple (terrible) mojitos. These guys really need some lessons on this cuban sweet stupidifier; I've been trying different places and nobody does them the way they should be. Better if I start making my owns. Anyhow, we were chatting last night about birthdays and stories and so, relaxing and in peace. We counted the years we've been celebrating her b-day together and found out that an impressive number 16 was the final countdown up to date. That is, almos half of our life as a couple. Speechless. And I remember that before meeting her my personal record on long-lasting relationships was 4 months, ja! We just kept on looking at each one right in the eyes, with an empty expression of mixed amazingness, nerviousness and happy resignation until we laughed out loud about it. What else could we do? ja!Also we spent sunday evening with Chicken's friend, Grace from Honduras, and her 24 year old victorian-born husband. We had dinner at 'Baltazhar', a funky place in downtown, listening to a very gray DJ and his chineese percussionist who pretended to play latin rythyms (kinda surrealistisc). I don't know why, and I don't have anything against them -other than korean bad breath after a night of garlic and alochol, but oriental guys are the copycats of the society. For me there's nothing funnier than a chinese lady with an afro or with blonde hair, or a japanese cholo, or as in this case, a thaiwanese TitoPuente... They want to be like everybody else, except as their parents. And that reminds me another thing, who are the ones that can push farther the limits of bad and/or ridiculous dressing: oriental or black? But that's a topic for another post...

Sunshine's in, at last. I never thought I'd miss it so bad until I've seen it again lighting this beautiful place. One can easily get used to see the city under the darkness of rainy clouds and feel quite comfortable living in a perpetual shadowness. But waking up again with the rays of light caressing your unshaved face and forcing your sore eyes to open is something really great. That's when I can understand these so-called vancouverites when they remind you every time they can to 'enjoy the sun'. Being from a land where sun can be something overwhealming and sometimes even upsetting, the sun hasn't played any major role in my life, until now. Everywhere you go, everywhere you turn around all of a sudden becomes a beautiful place, a great landscape, an incredible city. Watching this place with daylight is something really different and makes you proud and happy to be here, in one of the best cities to live in.Here comes the sun, here comes the sun And I say it's all right

Little darlin' it's been a long cold lonely winter Little darlin' it feels like years since it's been hereHere comes the sun, here comes the sun And I say it's all rightLittle darlin' the smiles returning to their faces Little darlin' it seems like years since it's been hereHere comes the sun, here comes the sun And I say it's all rightSun, sun, sun, here it comesLittle darlin' I feel the ice is slowly meltin' Little darlin' it seems like years since it's been clearHere come the sun, here comes the sun It's all right, it's all right

Finally, I saw today a glimpse of true happiness in the eyes of Chicken. Happiness mixed with lots of nerviousness and excitement and most of all, emotion. A rather sweet emotion. Seems like heaven above has decided to give her the chance of a lifetime. And, as I told her, this is her chance of a lifetime. I feel very excited too about it. A little nervious also, I must say, but honestly happy. For her, for us and for me. If she finally gets what she's asked for, she'll ride in the same rocket as me, at last. And if she is my co-pilot, finally we will get to those starts I've been dreaming of for so many years. If all these happens, I will finally be in total harmony with my life -that is, when I get my own job, of course. It's not that I wasn't already, but if one piece of the puzzle is missing, that hole is the first thing that jumps and ruins all the image. When all the pieces are in place, the picture is finally complete. Funny how the happiness of someone you love can really make your life become true and with a meaning.

Baby's good to me, you know, She's happy as can be, you know, She said so. I'm in love with her and I feel fine. Baby says she's mine, you know, She tells me all the time, you know, She said so. I'm in love with her and I feel fine. I'm so glad that she's my little girl. She's so glad, she's telling all the world That her baby buys her things, you know. He buys her diamond rings, you know, She said so. She's in love with me and I feel fine, mmm. Baby says she's mine, you know, She tells me all the time, you know, She said so. I'm in love with her and I feel fine. I'm so glad that she's my little girl. She's so glad, she's telling all the world That her baby buys her things, you know. He buys her diamond rings, you know, She said so. She's in love with me and I feel fine She's in love with me and I feel fine, mmm.

There are times when I feel like if I was drifting through the universe, with no particular destiny, just floating randomly, watching the sounds and listening to the lights... Not too much thinking on those moments, just playing the role of a cosmic witness, eventhough the cosmos I'm living in is no other than just a new land, that every day is becoming more and more a common place to me... I guess this kind of trance is usual to everyone under the same circumstances as me, that's why I avoid getting to passionate about it... It's just fun and different to what I was used to live... One of the main reasons of changing my personal panorama was to live this, live something new, something totally different and really challenging, taste new colors, breath new flavors, sweat new experiences that wouldn't have appeared if I wouldn't have looked for them... Mines are not fancy dreams nor material fantasies, they are more spiritual chases and childhood goals... And if in the meantime I can achieve a comfortable and colorful life, my dreams will begin overflowing my own expectations...

People are looking but they don't know what to doIt's the time of the season for the people like youCome back tomorrow, show the scars on your faceIt's a clue to the answer we all chaseThree, five and seven lift the heaviest loadreach the top of the heaven that's fallen belowDevil may care but you wish for the bestCan't you see there's an answer that lies thereCome all you sinners and keep with the timecan we see all the faces that have fallen behindDon't make the reason it's a secret for youThere's a clue to the answer we all knowThere's no clue to the answer we all knowPeople are looking but they don't know what to doIt's the time of the season for the people like youCome back tomorrow, show the scars on your faceIt's a clue to the answer we all chase

I can say that haven't met anoyone from my generation and it's surrounding areas that doesn't get excited with this one... I personally think it's the best cartoon soundtrack of all times, and not only the opening sequence tune but also all the music from the first 2 seasons along with The Inspector's and Aaardvark and Ant's are truly a masterpiece, most of it coming from William Lava and Walter Greene... Unfortunately, the only way to get it is through the Pink Panther's Classic Cartoon Collection DVD box...

Think of all the animals you've ever heard aboutlike rhinoc'ruses and tigers cats and minkThere are lots of funny animals in all this worldBut have you ever seen a panther that is pink?Think!A panther that is positively pink,Well here he is, the pink panther,The rinky-dink panther,Isn't he a panther ever so pink?He really is a groovy cat,and what a gentleman, a scholar, what an acrobat !He's in the pink - the pink pantherThe rinky-dink panther,and it's as plain as your nose,that he's the one and only, truly original,Panther-pink (panther) from head to toes !

Yesterday I spent a coupe hours with a new friend I met at my previous job. We got in contact thanks to Zappa and his music, and we started to get along pretty well at the office until the announcement that I was leaving. It was a really nice night, one of those that I've been missing since my relocation to this land. All in between music, beers and most of all good vibrations I finally realized why I didn't fit at Tugboat. Thankfully, I was considered by him too avant-gardish for the approach the agency has right now. That commentary, along with others, took away from me tons of tormenting thoughts I was carrying about my relation with the studio. I'm much more focused and calmed down about it and I think these will help me through my ongoing jog hunting. Back to basics. There's no need to worry. The strange ones are strange wherever they go.

Dancing madly backwards Dancing on a sea Racing on my memories I'm glad I set my dreamsTip toe, tip toe quickly Forget about your cares And remember underneath you Is just a sea of air Wishing on your wishes Landin on a storm Knowing when you are dancing Knowing that's so farDance, Dance, faster Madly dance away Cause remeber underneath you Is just a sea of airWell, I saw right now, looked at face to face Don't complain never seems too late No no no no noAh, cause I'm not sitting on the golden gate Love and a peace and war and hate No no no no noWell, I'm not gonna sit around and wait All I'm a doing is losing my face Oh no no noBut we're all on station that's for sure Searchin is an endless Well, there ain't no care Ah, oo

Just found a new place to live... Unfortunately, I had to move out from the Beresford because of the stupid Gallagher who put me into this unconfortable situation of finding a new job and a new way to get me money... I'm a little sad about it because Yaletown is very neat and I was very used to the lifestyle there, but it's too pricey and I didn't want to take too much risks... It will be only for 1 year, and maybe I can save some money that can help me later even for new projects -rehearsal room!! Anyhoo, that's the way right now how my life is, a little bit of stress and sorrow, but I feel everything is going to align on its path very soon... Overall I'm still feeling a little blurred, a little forced to be misplaced, strange feeling... Angry about having to deal with this situation thanks to a third party that doesn't even imagine what he caused, but... It's alright... Just a little bitter feeling, nothing to worry too much about...

You see the world through your cynical eyes You're a troubled young man I can tell You've got it all in the palm of your hand But your hand's wet with sweat And your head needs a rest And you're fooling yourself if you don't believe it

Why must you be such an angry young man When your future looks quite bright to me And how can there be such a sinister plan That could hide such a lamb Such a caring young man And you're fooling yourself if you don't believe it You're killing yourself if you don't believe it Get up, get back on your feet You're the one they can't beat and you know it Come on let's see what you've got Just take your best shot and don't blow it.

I've spent all afternoon behind Sofia, browsing and looking for so many things right now... I feel kinda lost, kinda lonely... and that feeling gets enhanced by my physicall loneliness in which I'm immersed right now, because Chicken is in Mexico -has been there for 3 weeks! So, right now I don't know what else to do... Maybe that's one of the main reasons I decided to start blogging... Also, I've never thought I'd say this, but it's a lonely world and I miss my friends... I miss someone to talk to about regular things, normal and common topics... Everything here is still 'from outside', nothing has come and touched me yet... But, it's my first year, and besides, I'm getting what I was looking for... I'm still looking for my place, here in this country and in this world... I've spent all these days thinking, trying to find me a stable position... I know, it may sound too abstract how I'm telling things, but in the end it's an abstract situation...Ok, so out for my lunch I go...

I've looked under chairsI've looked under tablesI've tried to find the keyTo fifty million fables

They call me The SeekerI've been searching low and highI won't get to get what I'm afterTill the day I die

I asked Bobby DylanI asked The BeatlesI asked Timothy LearyBut he couldn't help me either

People tend to hate me'Cause I never smileAs I ransack their homesThey want to shake my hand

Focusing on nowhereInvestigating milesI'm a seekerI'm a really desperate man

I won't get to get what I'm afterTill the day I die

I learned how to raise my voice in angerYeah, but look at my face, ain't this a smile?I'm happy when life's goodAnd when it's bad I cryI've got values but I don't know how or why

I'm looking for meYou're looking for youWe're looking in at each otherAnd we don't know what to do